Today would have been my 48th wedding anniversary. On this day in 1976, I made one of the best decisions of my life -- and it wasn't just to stuff cake in Becky's mouth.
In the end, God gave us 37 wonderful years of marriage. I don't believe there is any "secret" to a great marriage. But there were at least 7 things that got us through:
A good sense of humor.
Being kind and forgiving toward each other.
Having shared and separate interests.
Being opposites in temperament.
Praying together every day.
Serving the Lord as co-missionaries.
God's mercy and grace.
Don't get me wrong. It wasn't perfect. Lord knows we had our thin times. Still, marriages can persevere with hard work, love, and commitment (to God first, then to each other). Even severe testing is part of God's plan for your marriage. I think Peter Kreeft put it well in his book Jesus Shock (p. 37): "He [Jesus] is not the solution to our problems; He is the giver of our problems. Our problems are His tasks and our opportunities, His teaching and our education, His will and our sanctification. Whether they are as small as a dropped earring or as large as a death or (worse) a divorce, everything is somewhere on that love-line that runs from Him to us." Marriage can diminish us, but it can also expand us. It depends on the choices we make and the grace we receive.
Anyway, just thought I'd share that with you. Even now, I have many moments when I just get overwhelmed by the memories. I hope that never ends.
